Daytime Insomnia

Seriously, something is wrong with me.

Yesterday my allergies were going haywire, plugging up my left ear, leaving me on the verge of an ear infection.

Yes, I'm 32 years old and I still get those.

So, I run to the drugstore and get a box of Claritin-D, which seems to help me the most. I don't take it until after dinner because if I take that stuff on an empty stomach it makes me woozy and very nauseous. I get all the kids in bed and decide to get out my bow-making supplies.

Sidenote: I have a hairbow fettish. My girls have a bow for every outfit. Big, poofy, prissy bows in every color imaginable. Way fun.

As I was saying, I had dug out their clothes for the fall so I could decide what we needed bows for. Yes, I know it's only May, but all their summer clothes have bows already and I was in the mood. Long story short, I was up until 12:30 a.m. making hairbows. And I kept asking myself, "Why aren't I tired?"

Duh.

The decongestant had me wired. I dozed on and off, but kept waking up. I had this stupid song I'd heard on TV playing over and over again in my head. Not even the whole song, just a couple of lines, "Dum, dum, de, dee, dum...." At one point I dreamed Baby was bleeding, which jolted me awake. Then I had to check her all over to make sure she was okay. Needless to say, it was a very restless night.

I heard my alarm go off at 7 a.m., but couldn't move. Brother turned it off for me, God bless his soul. I think he understands the alarm sounding is only a suggested wake up time for mom. He doesn't even tell me anymore. He just turns it off and goes back to his business. Around 8:00 I hear a pounding noise. I want to go see what it is, but I just can't make my body cooperate, so I lay there, hoping it will stop.

It doesn't.

I finally drag myself out of bed to investigate. Brother and Sister have dragged out the play tools and are hammering plastic nails into a plastic piece of "wood". Don't they know people are trying to sleep?! "No hammering," I mutter, and head back to bed. But not to be left out of the merry-making, Baby is wide awake now and ready to play. Her little face is all aglow. "Hey, did someone say hammer?!"

No rest for the wicked.

I'm in a stupor. Not even a good, strong cup of coffee can revive me. We read some books, play a rhyming game and do a couple of chores, but we don't get a lot accomplished in the way of school or housework. All I can do is count down the minutes until naptime.

12:30 p.m. Kids are fed, stories are read and all are headed to bed...including me. I lay down on my nice, comfy bed, practically melting into the mattress. Ahhhhhhhh. I close my eyes. No stupid song playing.

Only quiet.

Very quiet. And light, too. Did I lock the door? Doesn't matter. I can't move. Did I give Hubby the message I took for him earlier? Man, it's really sunny today. I wish it were cloudier. What are you doing? Shut up and go to sleep! But it's too bright. Wow. I wish I had a video camera behind my eyelids to see what they look like when they're closed. Look at those spots. First a black on then a white one. Weird how I still see stuff when my eyes are closed. What am I going to make to take to the picnic tomorrow? Cookies? Yeah, but what kind? I need to put that on my grocery list. I need to make my menu for next week before I go shopping. What did we have last week? Did we have Chicken Parmesean already? Don't forget bread. WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU, WOMAN?????!!!!! WHY AREN'T YOU SLEEPING?????!!!!!

So, did I get a nap?

Nope. I'm sitting here. Blogging. Drinking more caffeine and feeling more awake than ever. Now, once the kids are up from their naps, I ought to be ready to lay down again.